How Tim Wakefield Embodied Spirit Of Memorable 2004 Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox ended an 86-year championship drought via a World Series victory in 2004 with a talented roster and an internal drive to embrace brotherhood for the ultimate team goal.

From making an unprecedented comeback against their biggest rival to knocking off a 105-win pennant winner, every player in a Red Sox uniform needed a selfless attitude with a commitment to winning and supporting each other. For that team, those values shaped the legacy of one player in particular.

Tim Wakefield held an important spot on that 2004 squad for the Red Sox. The longtime knuckleballer spent 17 seasons with the Red Sox as the ultimate professional. Throughout his career in Boston, he became a champion of the community, boosted pitching staffs with durability and empowered the players around him as the perfect teammate. Wakefield's Boston legacy came together as a fan favorite on the field and a true philanthropist off the field, eventually becoming an honorary chairman of the Red Sox Foundation.

Among several examples of Wakefield's selfless nature, his profound impact on the 2004 championship run should not be forgotten.

Wakefield and the Red Sox found themselves in the American League Championship Series, once again for a battle with the New York Yankees. The teams met with a trip to the World Series on the line for the third time since 1999. Redemption swirled around the team, especially for the knuckleballer, who allowed the walk-off home run to Aaron Boone to end the previous series in 2003.

The 2004 installment started as poorly as Boston could have imagined. After losing the opening two games in New York, the Yankees opened up a rout in Game 3 at Fenway Park. Boston's bullpen needed innings and Wakefield stepped up to take one for the team. Instead of waiting to start Game 4, the knuckleballer opted to enter in relief, tossed 3 1/3 innings and allowed five earned runs in an eventual 19-8 loss. More importantly, the Red Sox at least had a shot to use their top relievers in an effort to overcome a 3-0 deficit.

Two nights later in Game 5, Wakefield's durability came up in the clutch yet again, tallying three scoreless innings to keep the Yankees off the board. The Red Sox eventually earned a walk-off victory with Wakefield as the winning pitcher. Boston returned to New York to finish off the historic comeback and win the American League pennant for the first time in 18 years. That night, Wakefield celebrated in style with his teammates, embracing redemption in the same stadium where a crushing loss led to an unforgettable victory in the span of a year.

Wakefield did get his postseason start when Red Sox manager Terry Francona tabbed him as the Game 1 starter in the World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals. Boston's dominance continued, sweeping the Cardinals to take home the franchise's first title since 1918.

The 2004 season served as a turning point in Red Sox history. That defining victory never happens without Wakefield's team-first mentality to give everything he had for his teammates. That narrative defined Wakefield as a player and as a human being, forever enshrining him as a Boston folk hero.

Fellow 2004 champion Trot Nixon recently reiterated the value of brotherhood that propelled the team to the ultimate goal. It's hard to find a player on that roster who embodied that value more than Wakefield.

The 2024 season presents the chance for the Red Sox to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the fateful 2004 team. Boston will do so Tuesday during the home opener at Fenway Park against the Baltimore Orioles. Wakefield's legacy will be at the center of the ceremonies after the team Hall of Famer died last October at the age of 57.

Wakefield's spirit lives on throughout the franchise and the city, crafted by his role as the ultimate teammate and the everlasting legacy of the 2004 championship.